“Why is all the weed in Arizona so dry and (ground) up into dust?” wrote penny126789. A few months later, a similar gripe from a different account appeared elsewhere on the site. Its title: “I'm sooo tired of all the dry weed in AZ.”
Those users weren’t crazy. Cannabis flower in Arizona often isn’t as high-quality as in California. Four years after voters legalized recreational marijuana use, blanketing the state with dispensaries, weed users are becoming more discerning about the products they're buying. Perhaps that’s one reason sales of cannabis flower dipped to just $33.7 million in 2024, according to Headset, constituting a 28.4% year-over-year drop.
Some bud is indeed a dud in Arizona, and that’s for a few different reasons. Phoenix New Times spoke to two local cannabis experts to find out why.
Old harvest dates
When you step into a dispensary today, you’ll encounter an overwhelming variety of brands and strains. But as you browse your options, you should be scrutinizing harvest dates.“Consumers should look at cannabis like they do buying milk,” said Matt Duarte, the cultivation director at Riggs Family Farms. “The buds go bad only a few months after harvesting.”
Duarte says the optimal time for smoking cannabis flower is one to three months post-harvest.
The problem is that old, flavorless cannabis often sits on shelves at discounted prices. In October, New Times visited a Phoenix-area dispensary and checked the harvest dates of three random brands. While Alien Labs had strains harvested in July, Shango flower was harvested in May, and Roll One had strains harvested as far back as February.
If you don’t want dry weed, buy flower that wasn’t harvested ages ago.
“Arizona-grown cannabis degrades faster,” said Jamie Fimbres, master grower at SureFire Selections.
O'Hara Shipe
Storage
Another critical aspect of flower quality is storage, both behind the scenes and on the shelf. Flower should be stored in cool, dark places to maintain quality and to slow degradation.Duarte suggested that not enough dispensaries take that direction as seriously as they could.
“Proper storage is a huge problem for the entire cannabis industry,” Duarte said. “Educating cultivations and dispensaries on the key factors for storing fresh cannabis will result in a better-quality end product for the consumer.”
Master grower Jamie Fimbres of SureFire Selections also recommends keeping cannabis out of light and storing it in a cool environment.
“I keep all our flowers in a climate-controlled room at 68 degrees with 55% humidity,” he said.
Arizona is, well, dry
Fimbres has experience operating in both California and Arizona, and there’s unfortunately no avoiding one key factor: Arizona is just a dry place.“Arizona-grown cannabis degrades faster,” Fimbres said. “Heat, the dry climate and cheap packaging all work against the quality of the flower.”
That brings us back to storage, although there’s currently no oversight ensuring that environmental conditions within grow rooms are at optimal levels. It’s left to cultivators to handle as they see fit.
Fimbres uses vacuum sealing and refrigeration for long-term storage.
“Keeping all phases of the grow — including the dry room, trim room and storage rooms — at an ideal consistent temperature and humidity is key,” Fimbres said.
Of course, a particular grower’s storage practices are hardly apparent to the average consumer. If you care about avoiding dry weed, be sure to do some research, and pepper your budtender with questions before making a selection.
